Fort MacArthur

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Fort MacArthur (1914-1974) - Established 31 Oct 1914 and named after Lt. Gen. Arthur MacArthur, U.S. Civil War Medal of Honor recipient and father of Gen. Douglas MacArthur. Deactivated in 1975 but quarters and some other activities remained.

Officer's Quarters, Fort MacArthur
Fort MacArthur, 14" Gun


Fort MacArthur History

World War I

World War I began in August 1914 and the Panama Canal opened that same month. Construction began at Fort MacArthur 31 Oct 1914 and include the construction of three Taft Period Batteries (two 14" disappearing gun batteries and one 12" mortar battery). None of those batteries were completed before the end of World War I in 1918 but they were all completed and accepted in 1919.

The Fort MacArthur reservation was geographically divided into three parts: the Lower Reservation, Middle Reservation, and Upper Reservation. The Taft Period Batteries were located on the Upper Reservation. The lower reservation was a training center for troops heading to the war in Europe.

Fort MacArthur Plan circa 1921


Post World War I

After the war Fort MacArthur returned to being a Coast Artillery post and became a training facility for the California National Guard. One additional gun battery (Lodor) was built in 1919 but decommissioned in 1927.

The Army installed one 14" Railway gun in 1925 and another in 1930 and additional anti-aircraft units were placed strategically around the larger gun emplacements. Because of public outcry over the test firing of the 14" railway guns they were transported to remote locations for additional firings and returned to Fort MacArthur for storage, ready for emplacement. Two special roundtable like emplacements that allowed the railway guns to traverse 360 degrees were constructed in 1937 at the ends of spur tracks on the lower reservation. Activity increased as World War II broke out in Europe and 1941 saw additional manpower and missions assigned to Fort MacArthur.

Taft Period

Fort MacArthur Taft Period Battery (edit list)
Battery
Click on Battery links below 		No. Caliber Type Mount Service Years Battery Cost Notes
Battery Osgood 1 14" Disappearing 1916-1919-1919-1944 $ 211,427
Battery Farley 1 14" Disappearing 1916-1919-1919-1944 Included above
Battery Merriam 1 14" Disappearing 1916-1919-1919-1944 $ 251,363
Battery Leary 1 14" Disappearing 1916-1919-1919-1944 Included above
Battery Erwin 2 14" Railway 1925-1926-1926-1937
1937-1937-1943-1945 		$ 9,344
$ 144,806 		emplacements and approaches
Battery Barlow 4 12" Mortar 1916-1919-1919-1943 $ 290,300
Battery Saxton (1) 4 12" Mortar 1916-1919-1919-1943 Included above
Battery Lodor 4 3" Pedestal 1916-1917-1917-1927 $ 1,949 Deadman's Island
Source: CDSG

World War II

Fort MacArthur World War II Battery (edit list)
Battery
Click on Battery links below 		No. Caliber Type Mount Service Years Battery Cost Notes
Battery 127 2 16" Casemated Barbette (CBC) 1942-1943-1944-1948 $1,256,410 White Point MR
Battery 128 2 16" Casemated Barbette (CBC) 1943-1944-1945-1948 $ 758,879 Bolsa Chica MR
Not armed
Battery Eubank 2 8" Railway 1942-1942-1943-1944 $ 46,907 Manhattan Beach MR
Battery 240 2 6" Shielded Barbette (SBC) 1942-1943-1943-1956 $ 219,000 Point Vicente MR
Battery 241 2 6" Shielded Barbette (SBC) 1943-1943-1944-1956 $ 219,000 Upper Reservation
Battery 242 2 6" Shielded Barbette (SBC) 1943-1944-1944-1948 $  Bolsa Chica MR
Battery Navy Guns - El Segundo 2 6" Pedestal 1942-1943-1943-1944 $ 15,243 El Segundo
Battery AMTB - Gaffey Bulge 2 90 mm Fixed Pedestal 1943-1943-1944-1946 $ 76,576
Battery AMTB - Navy Field 2 90 mm Fixed Pedestal 1943-1943-1944-1946 Included above
Battery AMTB - Terminal Island 2 90 mm Fixed Pedestal 1943-1943-1944-1946 Included above
Battery AMTB - Bluff Park 2 90 mm Fixed Pedestal 1943-1943-1944-1946 Included above
Battery JAAN 1 - Cabrillo Beach 2 3" Pedestal 1942-1943-1943-1946 $ 8,040 Guns from Battery Lodor
Battery JAAN 2 - Long Beach 2 3" Pedestal 1942-1943-1943-1946 $ 8,122 Guns from Battery Lodor
Battery 155 - Santa Barbara 2 155mm Mobile, Panama Mounts 1943-1943-1944-1944 $ 9,689
Battery 155 - Ventura 2 155mm Mobile, Panama Mounts 1943-1943-1944-1944 $ 9,990
Battery 155 - Oxnard 2 155mm Mobile, Panama Mounts 1943-1943-1944-1944 $ 11,266
Battery 155 - Port Hueneme 2 155mm Mobile, Panama Mounts 1943-1943-1944-1944 $9,382
Battery 155 - Pacific Palisades 2 155mm Mobile, Panama Mounts 1943-1943-1944-1944 $ 11,151
Battery 155 - El Segundo 2 155mm Mobile, Panama Mounts 1942-1943-1943-1944 $ 21, 260 Converted from 6" Navy Guns
Battery 155 - Rocky Point (1) 2 155mm Mobile, Panama Mounts 1941-1943-1943-1944 $ 19,809 3 Panama Mounts
2 Guns
Battery 155 - Long Point 2 155mm Mobile, Panama Mounts 1941-1942-1943-1944 $ 8,208
Battery 155 - Fermin Point 2 155mm Mobile, Panama Mounts 1941-1942-1943-1944 $ 6,332
Battery 155 - Bolsa Chica 2 155mm Mobile, Panama Mounts 1941-1942-1943-1944 $  8,783
Battery 155 - Costa Mesa 2 155mm Mobile, Panama Mounts 1941-1943-1943 $ 18,734 3 Panama Mounts
2 Guns
Source: CDSG

Current Status

In 1977 the Upper and Lower Reservations were deeded to the city of Los Angeles. All of the buildings on the Lower Reservation were removed and the property was dredged to create the Cabrillo Marina. The city of Los Angeles turned the Upper Reservation into a city park in 1982. In 1982 the Middle Reservation was transferred to the Air Force and used as a housing and administration facility for Los Angeles Air Force Base.

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Location: San Diego, California.

Maps & Images

Lat: 33.71194 Long: -118.29528

  • Multi Maps from ACME
  • Maps from Bing
  • Maps from Google
  • Elevation: 260' (upper reservation)

Sources:

Links:

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